The present invention concerns a method to adapt a hearing device by providing evaluation data for various predetermined auditory situations and adapting the hearing device to a hearing device user by use of individual weighting. Moreover, the present invention concerns a corresponding device to adapt a hearing device as well as an individually adaptable hearing device.
A hearing device is known from the German patent document no. DE 690 12 582 T1 that the user can individually adapt by way of a menu control. The user gains access to a new parameter set for a specific response function that is then input into a digital signal processor via taps on a control keypad. By way of a few touches, the user can find the response function fitting his or her acoustic surrounding and the necessary amplification. Furthermore, a programmable digital hearing device system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,850. An adaptation of the electro-acoustic properties of the hearing device to the patient and to the surrounding can ensue via programming,. Selected parameter values are loaded into a programmable storage (EEPROM) that supplies the corresponding coefficients to a programmable filter and to an amplitude limiter of the hearing aid in order to thus achieve an automatic adaptation for surrounding noises, speech levels, and the like.
In principle, a danger exists for a hearing aid device user in that the hearing device may mistakenly detect an auditory situation. In the case that such a mistake ensues, the hearing device adapts with its hearing device parameters to a auditory situation that does not currently exist. With this, the audio signals are inappropriately relayed to the hearing aid device user. If, for example, the auditory situation “speech in low background noise” is confused with the auditory situation “music”, in this circumstance, unnecessary or, respectively, interfering frequency portions are transmitted, or specific frequency portions are inappropriately amplified.
In present hearing devices, an unclear connection exists in many cases between a specifically detected auditory situation and the hearing device parameters. In many cases, the connection between detected auditory situations and corresponding hearing device adjustments is also realized very simply in the current prior art. In noise situations, for example, the directional microphone and the noise reduction is activated. A classifier recognizes and classifies a current auditory situation and switches back and forth between a selection of hearing device programs with a plurality of parameters. However, the problem exists thereby that a current auditory situation by itself does not correspond to a standardized, typical auditory situation. Correspondingly, a known uncertainty exists as to which hearing device program the hearing device should switch to or, respectively, which hearing device parameters are to be adjusted to for the optimal use of the hearing device. Typical problem cases involve mixed situations when, for example, speech should be transmitted before the background of music and other ambient noise.